Osaka Sun
by Starsabove0oru
Summary: In a dismal world where Uchiha Sasuke is hated, Uzumaki Naruto is his only advocate, his only friend, and his only connection to humanity. What will come of their reunion? AU, SasuNaru, One-shot. Spoilers.


**Hi! So I know that I should be working on one of my other stories, but inspiration struck me. Inspiration by the name of Coldplay lol. It took me a long time to write this haha, I think I started it in December. But it's finally finished!!! If you find any mistakes, let me know!  
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**Summary: In a dismal world where Uchiha Sasuke is hated, Uzumaki Naruto is his only advocate, his only friend, and his only connection to humanity. What will come of their reunion? AU, SasuNaru, One-shot. _Spoilers_ _from the manga_. Rated teen for language.  
**

**Of course, I don't own Naruto. And the title and the lyrics used at the end are from Lovers in Japan by Coldplay.**

* * *

**OSAKA SUN**

* * *

I love him, isn't that enough? I don't care what the world thinks about him. They say that he's a traitor, he's heartless, he's a monster… and maybe he is. He's Sasuke and that's all that matters. My heart, my soul, my very being belongs to Sasuke. I believe in him. Even after the village turned against him and persecuted him for his crimes, he's still Sasuke. When I was a kid, I always knew there was good in Sasuke, that behind the scowls and the smirks, there was a lonely boy on the inside… and all he wanted was a friend. I knew that I could be his friend, be anything he needed me to be, because no one else would step up. They all loved him too much.

About two years ago, when I was seventeen, my best friend, Uchiha Sasuke, finally returned to our hometown of Konoha. But he didn't come back because he missed the village. He came back to destroy it. The battle lasted almost a day. There were countless casualties. But Konoha has, as Sandaime once said, "the Will of Fire" and we all rose up to defend it. Obviously, we won because if we didn't, I probably wouldn't be writing this.

I think the thing that hurt most was that Sasuke was back in Konoha, but with his own team: Taka. Sakura was replaced, Kakashi-sensei was discarded, and I had been forsaken. They brought a whole bunch of renegade shinobi; they practically had a mini-army. But we won. We opposed the ultimate adversity. Suigetsu and Karin were both killed during the battle… but Jugo managed to survive. Sasuke and Jugo are the only survivors. We killed everyone else. Every shinobi was under strict orders to protect civilians and kill the enemy upon sight.

Jugo's been imprisoned (like Sasuke) ever since, but he isn't allowed to have visitors. Tsunade tried to heal him, fix him, but she couldn't. Or maybe she didn't try as hard to help him as she would have tried to help one of us. Sometimes I feel bad for him because of how unstable he is… but then I remember the malicious look on his face as he ripped Ino's body apart effortlessly. Her body was so torn up that we kept the casket closed the entire time during the funeral. Sakura, with her astounding abilities, could have put the blonde's body back together, but as expected, she just couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to repair at Ino's remains.

Ino wasn't the only one that died that day. That fatal day when Sasuke came back and tried to kill us all, even me. He almost succeeded in killing baa-chan. He almost assassinated our Hokage. He was about to deliver the killing blow… but Kakashi-sensei teleported right in front of her. He died a minute later, right there in baa-chan's arms.

Even Sasuke was surprised… and that's why he didn't see me coming. I was so angry… I almost lost complete and total control. I was prepared to let the Kyuubi lose, let the murderous fox wreak havoc and destruction and pain upon him… but I knew that Kyuubi would not only slaughter Sasuke, but wipe out Konoha as well. Amazingly enough… I managed to calm myself down... and proceed to kick Sasuke's ass in a coherent manner. I didn't kill him; nor was that my intention. Because even then, after he had killed my sensei-one of my dearest friends, someone that _finally _saw me as an equal-Sasuke was still one of the most important people in my life.

So I "distracted" him until Sakura arrived. She healed baa-chan as quickly and as thoroughly as she could. Then the two of them used some kind of technique that basically took away all of Sasuke's chakra. I'm pretty sure it was a Kinjutsu or something. Sakura still won't tell me. Either way, Sasuke out of chakra. We had won… but even then, it didn't feel like a victory. It wasn't gratifying or notable or heroic or glorious; it was cold and bloody and dead and dark. Kakashi-sensei's body was still right there. And I couldn't stop looking at him.

I still remember the way my knees stung as I fell to the ground, sobbing. Sakura held me so tightly then and her tears soaked my clothing. Tsunade warily didn't take her eyes off Sasuke, but she told me days later that he didn't take his eyes off me. That even as ANBU arrived, handcuffed him, and took him away… Sasuke was still looking at me. And I didn't notice because I was too distraught, too shocked, too traumatized.

The elders and Tsunade were in agreement for once. Sasuke and Jugo were sentenced to life in prison. At first, I was okay with it. I hated Sasuke. Because of what he did, we lost so many shinobi. Ino, Kakashi-sensei, Aburame Shibi, Tenten, Hyuuga Hanabi, Teuchi, Inuzuka Kiba, Udon, Maito Gai, Mitarashi Anko, and Sai were all murdered. And those were the only victims that I knew. We lost one-fourth of our villagers that day. I was never into mathematics, but even I knew that was a staggering statistic.

A year went by and our wounds finally began to heal. Now we were all covered with mental scabs, mementos of a horrifically monumental day. I found myself thinking of Sasuke one day. I went to Tsunade-baachan and asked her about him. She instantly told me that he wasn't allowed to have visitors. I left the topic alone for a while. Mentioning the name "Uchiha" had become a taboo in Konoha. It was weird… I was respected and Sasuke was detested. The villagers even demolished the old compound a few weeks after the attack.

The former Uchiha compound is now a district full of beginnings. Homes, shopping outlets, a hospital, a graveyard (all of the victims of Taka's attack are buried there), a public swimming pool (which will be converted into an ice skating rink every winter), a few restaurants, a park, and even a second school. I love it there… it always feels sunny and bright. I enjoyed the atmosphere so much I actually bought an apartment there sixteen months ago.

The new region was named "Songbird's Cove". Tsunade-baachan let Hinata-chan pick the name. She goes there frequently. Hinata-chan started crying hysterically she found out about her little sister's death. When she learned of Kiba's demise… she stopped talking altogether. She literally hasn't uttered a word in two years.

It wasn't fair, but life went on. That's one thing I learned. You wake up, you go about your day, you go to sleep, you wake up the next morning, and you repeat the routine, until death takes you. We're a resilient village… and we've lived through plenty of nightmares. Akatsuki still lurks about in the distance, but for the most part, they've left us alone. They'll strike again someday… when they _think_ we're least expecting it. Personally, I'm giving them three more years. They won't let me frolic for too long, I'm a Jinchuuriki for Heaven's sake.

Anyways, I'm only writing this because it's the only way I can go see Sasuke. I mean, I guess it helps to get all my feelings down on paper. It's therapeutic, in a way. But after I finish this, I gotta give it to Tsunade-baachan. Then she'll read it, evaluate it, and tell me if I can go see him or not. Granted, there'll be some random ANBU person in the room with us, so we won't be alone. I'm okay with that. And I'm glad that Tsunade-baachan is even considering my request.

To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm ready to be alone with Sasuke. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to completely forgive him for what he did. But I love him. Everyone here hates him, hates him more than they ever hated me (which is pretty damn surprising), and I love him. Sakura punched me across the face when I told her I was possibly going to see Sasuke. I don't blame her… and part of me is happy that she did it. I mean, what kind of masochistic fool am I?

Sasuke doesn't give a shit about me. I don't think he cares about anything. And yet, I yearn to be near him. I still feel like things are unresolved, unfulfilled. I always pictured his homecoming in my head. I would find him somewhere, out in foreign territory. He would be alone and outnumbered by us. But I would be the one to fight him. Only me. And we would fight relentlessly for hours. And finally, I would scream out my feelings to him, make him understand why I trained so hard every day, how much he inspired me to do my very best, and that he was the most important person in my life.

Of course, everyone there would be shocked. "NARUTO IS GAY?!?" They would have shouted at the top of their lungs, despite the gravity of the situation. And Sasuke would lower his blade; his dark eyes would look me over. Then he would smile at me, a _real_ smile, not a smirk. And he would give himself up. He would say: "Fine, dobe. I'll come back." Sometimes… I dream about that naïve vision of mine. And when I wake up, the first thing I always feel are tears running down my cheeks. That's why I need closure. I need to tell him how I feel. Because maybe after I do... maybe then I'll be able to move on with my life. There. That's all you're getting out me.

* * *

After signing the letter and putting it in an envelope, I left immediately to deliver it to Tsunade-baachan. I raced through the village, waving and smiling at the people I knew. But on the inside, I was full of turmoil. I was possibly going to see Sasuke today, after not seeing him for two years. It was unthinkable. I finally made it to that oddly-shaped building. If I become Hokage, I'm having a cooler office built for myself.

"Baachan!!!!!!!!" I found myself shouting loudly as I dashed up the stairs towards her office. Not that she could hear me. But as soon as I reached the top of the stairs, I saw her waiting there for me. She wasn't even in her office. Her arms were crossed over her chest; her brown eyes harsh and astute. I froze in my tracks under her stare.

"Well?" The Hokage barked out, extending her hand. "Give it to me!" I slowly crept forward and handed her the letter. I half-expected her to kick me into the nearby wall. She ripped the envelope open and began to read it. I watched her eyes travel over the paper. "What are you still doing here?" I jumped at her dark tone.

"Umm… I'm waiting for you to finish reading the letter?" I asked dumbly.

"I'm guessing Sakura didn't tell you. Go on, gaki. Go see him." Tsunade wove her hand idly. "I told her to tell you that you had my permission."

"I can go?" I repeated disbelievingly, my mouth agape. I didn't understand why she decided to just let me go. But I sure as hell was okay with it!

"Don't look so happy, gaki." Tsunade narrowed her eyes at me. "Hurry up before I change my mind." I ran forward and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you." I whispered; my voice full of emotion. "You have no idea how much this means to me." I could feel tears forming in my eyes. Shit… if I was this emotional now, what the hell was going to happen once I actually _saw_ Sasuke?

"As a matter of fact, I do. That's why I'm letting you go." Tsunade ruffled my blonde locks and released me. "I can't keep the two of you apart, nothing can."

"Huh?" I cocked my head to one side. "I don't get it."

"You will eventually, Naruto." Tsunade turned around and walked away. She began reading the letter once more. I watched her for a few seconds and then jumped out of the nearest window. Sasuke was being held in a huge tower that had been constructed solely to imprison him and Jugo. The tower was deep in the woods, behind the Hokage Monument. I had envisioned this meeting in my head for months. And it probably wouldn't turn out like I planned. But I literally had nothing to lose. And everyone likes closure, right?

* * *

I stood in front of the metal door. I could have knocked it down if I wanted. It would have taken a minimal amount of energy. But beyond that door, was Sasuke. And I needed to be ready, mentally prepared. I didn't know if Sasuke knew I was out there. I knew he couldn't use chakra anymore, but did that mean he couldn't sense it? But even without his ability to execute techniques, he still had his intelligence and his natural intuition. I wonder if he felt as uneasy as I did, behind that door.

The ANBU guard who had been specifically assigned to accompany me inside the tower hadn't said a word yet. I was surprised, considering the fact that I was Sasuke's first visitor. I was expecting a lecture, some condescending words possibly. But nothing, not a word out of my "bodyguard". Actually, he was more like a neutral, emotionless observer. Because honestly, if I decided to bust Sasuke out… what the hell could he do about it? I was stronger than him.

I took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked inside. The inside of the tower was dimly lit, damp, and cold. It felt as if all the happiness and goodness of the world didn't exist here. The ANBU guard shut the door and the sunlight left the tower. The tower consisted of a circular, bare room (which we were in), a large spiral staircase leading up to Sasuke's room, and a room underground where Jugo was kept.

I couldn't help myself. I was kind of happy, because I was going to see Sasuke. Then again, he might try and kill me. He might not even talk to me. But who gave a shit? So I dashed up the clammy steps as fast as I possibly could. "TEME!!!!!!!!!" I screamed as I finally reached the top of the steps. Well, he had to have known that it was me by now. I was the only person stupid enough to announce my presence that loudly… and that rudely, come to think of it.

The ANBU dude was right next to me again. I turned to look at him (I was pretty sure the guard was a guy) and he still didn't say anything. So I shrugged, turned away from him, and basically threw the door in front of me open. I leapt into the room and instantly scanned it, looking for Sasuke. The room consisted of a tiny, frail bed (it looked like it would break if Choji sat on it), a wooden table with some silverware thrown on it, a single barred window above the bed, and an open chest on the ground near the table full of dark clothing.

There was a figure, sitting in front of the table. He turned to look at me, his eyes as chilling as ever. "Hn. Never thought I'd see you here, usuratonkachi." I heard a distinct tone that I hadn't heard in ages. I froze, I stiffened. I guess I wasn't as ready as I thought I was. He was thin, so thin, and pale, almost as pale as Sai. Sai's skin was as pale and as gray as the moon, but Sasuke? His skin was always pale white, like the stars in the heavens… or the milk in my cereal. Okay, so I'm not a romantic. Either way, Sasuke looked as if he was on the brink of death.

His voice was horse, dry. As if he hadn't used it in ages. I guess that was true. I was probably the first real visitor he had. I wasn't there to interrogate him or torture him or assess him. I was simply there because I wanted to be. I wanted to be near Sasuke. Even though, it seemed like he wasn't as fierce as he used to be. Like he was missing something… but he was still Sasuke and he was still glaring at me in the same way that he always did. It was enough for now, I suppose.

"Sasuke…" I whispered slowly, making my way towards him. I didn't realize it, but my eyes were tearing up.

"What? Come to grill me?" Sasuke stood up angrily, shoving his chair away from him. I stopped walking in shock, my mouth agape. "The Hokage really thinks that if Ibiki couldn't get anything out of me that _you_ could?" Okay, that was uncalled for. He still thinks he's light years ahead of me and he can't even walk on water anymore.

I furiously wiped my tears away, strode over to him, and punched him across the face. Sasuke didn't even try and block my attack. His body was thrown back by the force of my punch. Oddly enough, the ANBU person did nothing about it. I had just assaulted a prisoner and clearly, I wasn't going to get in trouble for it. If that wasn't discrimination, I didn't know what was. They really did hate him. It pained me… because the Uchiha name used to be loved and revered and glorified and while it used to make me jealous, I looked up to Sasuke, because everyone else did.

Now I look at Uchiha Sasuke… and I see a shadow of a man. I see a cold, uncaring man with a forming bruise on the right side of cheek, close to his mouth. I see blood trickling down his lips. I see dead, dull, black eyes looking right through me. Those eyes used to sparkle like black diamonds. And now they've lost their luster. This Sasuke was nothing like the boy I had fallen in love with. Or was he just hidden inside of this outer shell? Well, there was only one way to find out. I had to antagonize the hell out of him until he finally started acting like the old Sasuke. And if he didn't, I would just tell him how I feel and leave. And that would be that.

"How dare you?!?" I snarled. I could feel my eyes turning red. "I came here to see you, teme, not interrogate you! Did you honestly think that I would do such a thing? For the record, I _WAS_ asked to interrogate you when you were first imprisoned. And I said no! I said _NO_ you stupid fucking-"

"I get it." Sasuke wiped the blood from the side of his lip. "I see you haven't lost your love of all things dramatic."

"I'm glad I haven't changed in your eyes, because you've sure as Hell changed in mine." I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. I was pretty sure my eyes were still red. But I wasn't even going to attempt to calm myself. "I used to consider you my brother. But after what you did… I can't figure out what you mean to me anymore. I just can't."

"Did you really come here just to whine? I don't want to hear it." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "If you want to complain to someone, find some girl to whimper to."

"Oh please. You know you'd be upset if I left. It's not like anyone else comes to see you." I retorted sarcastically. "Gee, I wonder why? Oh, that's right. Maybe that's because you tried to kill off everyone in the village! Why the hell did you do that?!?"

"Didn't you say you weren't here to interrogate me, dobe?" Sasuke smirked at me, a cocky look in his eyes. "Going back on your word?"

"Sasuke…" I let out a deep sigh and smiled sadly. "Why are you being difficult on purpose?" Sasuke didn't give a sarcastic response for once. "Did you honestly think I would come back and things would be the way they used to be? No… they never will.

"What you did, it was almost unforgivable. I want to forgive you, I do. But in order to forgive you for your crimes… I need to know _why_ you did it." I could tell now that my eyes were blue once more… blue and tearing up again. Damn, I hate being so weak around him.

"What took you so long?" Sasuke murmured softly. I almost didn't hear him.

"I… I was hurt. I still am hurt. I hated you for a long time. Kakashi-sensei… Kiba… Ino… Sai… they're dead. They're dead, Sasuke, and no matter how much I cry… they don't come back." I finally let out a sob, my emotions overwhelming me. "And you… you did the same thing Orochimaru did. No, what you did was worse. You killed your teacher, just like he did. You destroyed so many lives, desolated so many families and friends, you eradicated bonds that took years to build. Hinata… she doesn't even _TALK_ anymore! Orochimaru… he attacked our village. But you… you attacked our hearts."

"I am _nothing _like him." Sasuke scowled in response. Was me comparing him to Orochimaru seriously all he heard? Jeez, he's in denial AND he has selective hearing.

"How can you say that? How can you act like you're any better than Orochimaru… when you did the exact same thing as him?" I shouted back angrily. "You… you tried to kill our Hokage! You killed Kakashi-sensei! And all your stupid followers, your soldiers? They destroyed half our village! You-"

"This place is full of hypocrisy and lies. It deserves to be destroyed. Konoha should not exist. Look at what they did to you. They blamed you for something you had absolutely no control over, hated you, judged you without even knowing you!" Sasuke hissed in response.

"Did Kiba blame me for being the Kyuubi's vessel? Did Gai-sensei ever treat me like the scum of the earth? NO! THEY NEVER DID!!!!!!!" I roared lividly. "The only people who fit that close-minded fucking generalization of yours are the Elders and Danzo! And did you kill them? No, you didn't! They're still alive and kicking! So what _did_ you accomplish, Sasuke? Did you change Konoha for the better? No, you _didn't_. You only made everyone here hate you! You only increased the hatred and anger and pain in this village. What _good_ are you?"

"Good? Good?" Sasuke repeated mockingly, scathingly. "My intentions were never _good_, Naruto. My intention was to burn Konoha to the ground, along with everyone in it."

"Why? Because I'm here?" I asked brokenly. I didn't, I couldn't understand why he was full of such hate. It didn't make any sense to me. "Or because of Itachi?"

"Don't you _dare_ use his name!" Sasuke snarled at me. He succeeded in pissing me off even more. I wanted to punch him, I wanted to kick him and scream at him until he understood me. Understood where I was coming from. "This damn hellhole you keep defending? It practically sealed his fate! That's why I attacked Konoha!"

"What are you talking about?" I became curious, despite my anger. Sasuke, as if taken aback by my tone, fell silent. "Well, tell me already. Or do I have to Rasengan your ass to get you to talk? Or I could call Ibiki over here. I bet you'd love that."

"Shut it, dobe." Sasuke snapped out, but he sounded tired. He slumped to the ground, using the wall for back support. I sat right in front of him, staring at him intently. "I killed Itachi. You know this. But he… he planned it all along. He always had so much control. He even orchestrated his own death. He wanted to be killed by me. After his death, Uchiha Madara approached me. He told me about what really happened the night Itachi slaughtered our clan." And Sasuke proceed to tell me one of the most appalling stories I've ever heard.

* * *

I blinked multiple times; trying to take in all the information I was just told. Well, at least Sasuke was patient for once. He actually repeated his words and explained parts of the story over until I completely understood it. Or maybe, he wanted me to realize why he did it. Why Konoha deserved to be blown away in his eyes.

"Well… from what I'm gathering… you're quite possibly the most naïve, irrational, overconfident asshole in the world." I uttered slowly. "You mean to tell me that you went against your dead brother's wishes? You basically spat on Itachi's grave."

"Are you really that narrow-minded? You still can't see the big picture?" Sasuke shook his head, his tone patronizing. I hate when he talks to me like that… like I'm some immature child that needs to be scolded. Despite his blindness, I have changed. I _am_ different.

"Yeah well I'm pretty sure that Hyuuga Hanabi didn't order Itachi to kill your parents. But she still died anyways. All those unnecessary casualties… they did NOTHING to you. But you had to involve them. You killed people you didn't even meet. Did you ever meet Hinata's sister? Did you know that she was stronger than Hinata? That she had so much potential? And where is she now? She's in a fucking grave! She'll never become a shinobi, she'll never-"

"Do you really think that if you died a Hyuuga drone would be weeping over you?" Sasuke interrupted coldly. "It makes no sense to care about someone you don't know."

"Maybe if you did someone would care about you!" I barked back.

"You care about me." Sasuke accused, his dark eyes glittering like they used to. I was stunned, but I knew exactly what to say. I had mentally rehearsed these words for weeks.

"I wish I didn't." I replied softly. "I wish I hated you. You know what you are, Sasuke? You're a dream wrecker. You destroyed my dreams the day you attacked Konoha. Sometimes I think I'm already dead and I'm just a phantom, chained to this horrible, everlasting place where everyone else is still alive. I don't even want to be Hokage anymore. I used to be so happy… and now I'm not. I haven't been truly happy for two whole years, Sasuke.

"No one else notices. They all think I'm the same Naruto, a bit older, a bit more reserved, but still, the same hyperactive prankster who doesn't want to listen to anyone. And you know what? They need that Naruto, that happy, immature boy that foolishly thought he could get the fucking prodigal son to return home. I really thought that I could bring you back… and that was another dream you wrecked for me, too.

"So thanks, teme. Thanks for ruining my existence. I appreciate it." I stood up. I didn't think this was going to turn into a Truth or Dare session (minus the dare). I was ready to leave before I said too much. It was the first time I had verbally admitted not wanting to be Hokage anymore. And saying the truth out loud hurt. It felt like I had stabbed myself in the heart.

"I'm sorry." I stiffened at those two magic words. Those two words that usually healed everything… and Sasuke had said them. Two years ago, I would have given Sasuke the biggest smile. I would have slung my arm around his neck and pulled him close, grinning ear to ear. But that was then and this was now. I was just as dead inside as he was. And I wasn't going to reward him with a smile, not when I had nothing left to smile about. He didn't get the luxury of seeing my mask, my persona, my façade. Not like everyone else.

"You're sorry?" I whirled around, my tone sardonic. "You sure picked the wrong time to not be an asshole, Sasuke. Your apology means nothing to me. Actually, nothing in this world means anything to me anymore. You said before that I didn't change. For once, I guess I can call you 'dobe'." I even snorted, just like Sasuke would have snorted at me. It sounded authentic. It sounded like him. I was being cold, just as cold as he had always been to me. And what could he do about it? Nothing. I knew that he wanted me to stay. Because I was his only advocate, his only friend… and his only connection to humanity. I was the only reminder of the world outside; the world that hated him. And yet, hate was better than nothing at all. So he wanted me to stay.

"Naruto." Sasuke stood up, too. His black eyes stared into my blue ones. We didn't say anything for a while. We just kind of had a staring contest. It was kind of weird, but I didn't feel like saying anything. Because I knew that the next thing I would do was tell Sasuke about my feelings. And that would give him the power, admitting my weakness. Sasuke, while he used to be a source of strength and motivation, is now a weakness, my weakness.

"I didn't mean to ruin your dream." Sasuke continued on. "I always thought you could do it, even though I never said it. And I've always known that in some ways, you would always be stronger than me. You have the purest and the most resilient heart out of anyone I know. That gives you a power, a power that you can't get from getting bit on the neck by a snake or by having a fox sealed inside you. I never wanted to admit it to you, but I knew it."

"Well, you're strong too. If you hadn't tried to kill us all, you could've been Hokage one day." I shrugged nonchalantly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hn. We both know that she was going to nominate you." Sasuke smirked and I could feel the corners of my mouth turning up slightly.

"Yeah… well it doesn't matter anymore. I've got this hole inside of me, this void. And I know that I'm not who I used to be anymore. I'm in no condition to take care of a village. I'm no good anymore." I replied wistfully.

"You can still be Hokage." Sasuke said firmly, taking another step towards me. "You're not like me, Naruto. You were… well you were meant for greatness. You'll pick yourself out of this slump."

"I can't get myself out of this slump." I shook my head. "Because I love you and it's killing me inside." Sasuke's eyes widened and he gawked at me. I inwardly sighed, knowing how uncomfortable I was making the stoic raven. But it had to be said. It was my goal for this particular mission.

"Well, that's actually why I came here. I wanted to tell you how I feel. I've loved you for… shit, I don't even know how long. I think I always did love you; I just didn't realize it at first. But I knew that once you came back to Konoha, I was going to tell you. Little did I know." I broke off, a dark chuckle forcing itself from my throat. "That's all I have to say. I don't expect you to return my feelings. Because obviously, if you loved me, you wouldn't have-" I stopped talking once again, but for a different reason. Somehow, Sasuke was right in front of me. Somehow, his arms were wrapped around me. And somehow, his face was in my neck.

I began crying softly, and hugged him back. We were locked in each other's arms. Of course, I was being the emotional baby and leaking onto his right shoulder. "I missed you… I missed you so much." I managed to croak out, tightening my hold on him.

"You're my most precious person. You're only thing in this cursed purgatory I still care about." Sasuke whispered into my neck. I didn't understand why he was being so tender. It was like some cruel dream. I half expected to feel a Chidori through my shoulder again. But at the same time, I could tell something had changed. It felt as if everyone else in the world had melted away and it was just me and Sasuke; that no one else existed and we were in Heaven.

"We could have changed this world together." I smiled; my tone bittersweet and nostalgic.

"Next time, I'll give you the chance." Sasuke snorted, his lips brushing against the soft skin of my neck. I shivered and began running my fingers up and down Sasuke's back.

"No… next time, give _us_ a chance." I corrected him softly, my tears finally ceasing. I began to hear a strangely familiar dripping sound in my ears and instantly broke away from Sasuke. To my utter amazement, we were both in my mind, right in front of Kyuubi's cage.

"What the hell is going on?" Sasuke growled suspiciously, staring at the cage. Gleaming red eyes appeared behind the bars and the beast let out a loud, demonic cackle.

"The kit and the Uchiha are here once more." Kyuubi's full body appeared, in all his dreadful glory. "I see your souls have brought you here."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, frowning slightly.

"Didn't you think it was odd, that this brat was the only other person that could be present inside the very depths of your mind? The bond between you transcends the laws of reason; your souls are eternally and invincibly intertwined." Kyuubi enlightened us calmly. "Now that both of you have fully acknowledged your feelings for one another, you are free."

"I kind of get it?" I cocked my head to one side, turning to Sasuke. He looked just as lost as I was. But that didn't change the fact that we were here together. So I held my hand out towards him… and he grabbed onto it instantly. The minute our fingers touched, I felt a sense of peace overtake me.

"Now then, Uchiha, because of the crimes you've committed, you will not be reunited with the kit right away. I'd say give or take about sixteen years." Nine-tails said to Sasuke.

"I'm not going to see Sasuke for sixteen years?!?" I blurted out uncontrollably. "I'm gonna be old and dying from heart failure then!!!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at me… and then burst out laughing. My jaw dropped in astonishment at the sound of his laughter. It was one of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard. And before I knew it, I was snickering along with him. I slung my arm around his pale neck, just as I always imagined it, and softly tugged him closer to me. I pulled him closer and closer to me, until our foreheads were touching. Then Sasuke did something I never thought he would do. He slowly leaned back, took my face in his hands, and gave me a tender kiss on the forehead. Then he released my scarred cheeks and stared into my eyes.

"I love you. And I don't give a shit how long we're apart. I'll find you again, I promise. So just wait for me, okay?" Sasuke smiled softly at me, a real smile, the smile that had plagued me during my slumber.

"Do we get to save the world this time?" I grinned widely, my eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Whatever you want." Sasuke snorted, running his fingers through his dark locks.

"Ok then…" I reluctantly turned to Kyuubi, who had waiting rather patiently behind his cage. "I guess we're ready. What do we have to do?"

"The Hokage and her apprentice removed all the current chakra from the Uchiha and put a permanent seal on his system, disabling him from using chakra ever again. Therefore, kit, we're going to have to do this on our own." Kyuubi's red eyes gazed into mine, his gaze intense and telling. "Your souls will join the Ring of Reincarnation. He will depart first; then you and I have some loose ends to tie up."

"What do you mean?" I was confused. I wish that damn fox was being more direct. Frankly, I had no idea what the hell was going on.

"I think… he's granting both our wishes." Sasuke uttered slowly. "Both of us are sick of this world, sick of our lives. We're being sent to a new world, a place where you won't have to be Hokage… and I won't have to avenge anyone. But before you leave this world, aren't there some things you'd like to take care of?"

"Akatsuki!!!" I shouted out instantly. "And the Elders and Danzo!"

"Exactly. We will kill them all, together." Kyuubi rumbled happily.

"And tell… tell baa-chan that Shikamaru needs to be the next Hokage. He can do it. Tell him, that as the Yondaime's son, I nominated him to be the-" I began nobly.

"The Yondaime is your father?" Sasuke interrupted, giving me a look.

"Years ago, Kakashi-sensei wrote me a letter. It was only to be given to me in the event of his death." I responded curtly. "And he died. My parent's names were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. I was named after a character in Ero-sennin's book. He's my godfather."

"I will carry out your wish." Kyuubi answered seriously. "Nara Shikamaru shall become the next Hokage. Anything you want, Uchiha?"

Sasuke stole a look at me. "I already have everything I need. I need nothing else from this world." And with that, Sasuke, the love of my life, completely convinced me that everything was real. This was actually happening. It wasn't a dream or a fantasy. I wasn't going to wake up in my bed crying this time. I was going to wake up in a different world.

The many bars that kept Kyuubi captive began to crack. I felt somewhat wary about it, but Sasuke noticed. He silently put a hand on my shoulder and I threw him a small smile, which he returned quickly. Kyuubi's prison finally broke completely, leaving the two of us completely vulnerable in front of Kyuubi no Youko. All nine of his tails swirled about magnificently and he opened his wide mouth, revealing extremely sharp teeth.

A huge ball of black and silver pulsing energy appeared in front of Kyuubi's mouth. "This is a rift. It will lead to the Ring of Reincarnation. Uchiha, it is time." Kyuubi nodded his orange head towards the rift. It looked dangerous and it made me feel uncertain.

"Goodbye, Sasuke." I grasped onto him, holding him as tightly as I could. Everything felt so surreal. But now that Sasuke was leaving, I felt a sort of panic take over me. "I don't know-" I broke off as Sasuke returned my embrace, gripping me just as tightly as I was holding him.

"It's not goodbye." Sasuke said simply, his voice slightly muffled by the proximity of our bodies. But he didn't move. "Until we meet again, dobe."

"Teme." I responded automatically, warmth spreading through my system. "See you on the other side." Sasuke let go of me and placed a soft, chaste kiss on my lips. It happened so quickly, if Kyuubi had blinked, he would've missed it. But I'll never forget how his lips felt upon mine, even if it only lasted for a few seconds. And just knowing that wherever I was going, I would be experiencing more of that… it was rather reassuring.

I slowly released Sasuke from my hold and he stepped away. He walked towards Kyuubi and I watched in astonishment as the ball of energy lowered itself to the ground. Sasuke looked back once and winked at me. I could feel the waterworks starting up again. I waved lamely at him, too afraid to use my voice. And with that, Sasuke turned around and walked into the rift. The ball vanished instantly, taking Sasuke with it. He was gone, just like that.

I felt a sob overtake me and I covered my mouth. I had to be strong. Sixteen years was a long time, but I could do it. Our new lives had to be better than these ones. "Ready, kit?" Kyuubi demanded abruptly. Clearly, I wasn't allowed to take an emotional time out. But I understood, we had things to do.

So I hurriedly wiped my eyes, forcing the tears away. "Yup! Let's do this!" I took a deep breath and braced myself.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kyuubi asked me carefully. This was probably the biggest decision of my teenage life… so of course I was going to be an ass about it. I couldn't help it. My reunion with Sasuke brought out the unpredictable prankster in me.

"I always wanted to go out with a bang!" I grinned cheekily, throwing fist in the air. "Let's show those cloudy-headed assholes who runs this place!"

"Well said, kit." Kyuubi snorted, his tone sinister, but momentous at the same time. I nodded in response, closing my eyes for a second. "Now then, I will explain the plan to you. You of course, are allowed to give your intellectual input as well."

"Ok! Let's get started then! We've got a world to revolutionize!" I was happy. I got to bring about change and I didn't even have to be Hokage. And if it wasn't for Sasuke, I probably never would have done this. I never would have found the strength to do this. Kyuubi narrowed his red eyes at me and began to inform me of his plan.

* * *

I woke up gasping, my blue eyes somewhat dazed, but alert. I was actually standing up in the middle of the room that had once held Sasuke prisoner. But from now on, we were no longer prisoners. We were free, the gates had been opened, the seals had been lifted. The ANBU guard, upon seeing me regain consciousness, jumped in front of me, his stance questioning, but poised.

Time seemed to have passed since Sasuke and I had been brought into my mind. I looked down and saw Sasuke's body there. It surprised me at first, but then I remembered that although his soul had joined the Ring of Reincarnation, his body did not. So, in essence, he was dead right now, which meant that after all this, I would die, too. But oddly enough, this didn't bother me in the least. If death meant liberty, then give me death!

"I suggest you call for help." I smirked, my malicious tone almost sending a chill down my own spine. So I can imagine how much I scared the poor guy. He instantly took off, leaving me alone with Sasuke's body. I leapt up to the barred window and punched through it, jumping out into the oncoming night. I scrambled up to the pointed roof of the tower and looked out. I looked at Konoha and the sea of green that surrounded it. I would be leaving this world soon. And it was time for my finishing act.

I rapidly made the proper hand signals. I had performed this technique so many times, it was just as easy as breathing to me. However, the energy I felt coursing through me was different, more absolute. "Tajuu… kage bunshin no jutsu." I uttered the familiar, but fatal words for the last time. Two-hundred and ninety-nine, red-eyed, three-tailed, copies of me immediately burst into existence. A countless number of shadow clones were around me, ready for me to command them. It was saddening, in a way, to realize that I was at this moment, racing to my death, racing to a place where I wouldn't need to create shadow clones anymore. It was also frightening, but I couldn't let it show. I chose Sasuke over this world… and I never went back on my word; it was my way of the ninja. But I couldn't let my qualms distract me, for it was time for me to carry out my ultimate, most important mission.

I bit my thumb and made the corresponding hand signals. "Kuchiyose no jutsu: Kyuubi no Youko." I shouted loudly. This would be the first and last time I ever summoned Kyuubi. One-hundred of my clones rose up into the air and formed a gigantic, orange and black mass. I could feel excruciating pain, as the fox began to materialize into our realm of existence once more. But as much as it hurt, it felt pleasurable, too. It felt good to be purging the cursed fox from my body. Kyuubi's body began to emerge high in the darkening sky.

As more of the fox's body appeared, the clones in the black and orange heap began vanishing. Predictably enough, when Kyuubi was physically whole and complete in the sky, one hundred of my clones were gone. I could feel my eyes turning blue once more. All my clones lost their three tails… and I did as well. But I was still powerful. I wasn't afraid. As a matter of fact, not having Kyuubi in my body felt wonderful, it felt empowering and righteous. But I knew that what I was doing wasn't right; it was selfish.

Kyuubi let out a massive, menacing roar that must have alerted everyone who couldn't already feel the intense surging chakra in the air. I grinned from the rooftop, watching as a whole bunch of shinobi began to make their way over to me. I would kill no one. My clones and the Kyuubi were merely distractions. I would take out Danzo and the Elders. Once my job was done, Nine-Tails would pick me up and we would depart on our way to Akatsuki. After killing them, Kyuubi would open up another rift and I would go into the Ring of Reincarnation.

"Naruto!!!!!!!!!" I could see Tsunade-baachan in the distance. Her expression was furious, disbelieving, and disappointed at the same time. I mentally commanded about fifteen of my clones to disperse throughout Konoha and search for the Elders.

"Sorry, baachan." I called out, cupping my hands around my mouth. "Let Shika be your successor, not me!" I could see Shikamaru in the group of shinobi.

"NARUTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I didn't even realize Sakura was nearby, but she was. And she punched me hard, right across the face. Shit. But my body rapidly healed itself and I could feel my teeth restructuring themselves. It seemed as though Sakura's attack broke everyone's hesitation. The battle between Kohona and me had commenced. Sakura tried to attack me again, but I ordered some of my copies to restrain her.

"Sakura… I'm sorry." I smiled sadly as five of my clones overtook her. She slowly stopped struggling, and just stared at me. "I'm not cut out for this. Sasuke's dead, you know? And I can't live without him. His body is below us. And if you don't believe me, you can rip the roof off this tower." Three of the fifteen scavengers I had sent out had been killed. I instantly sent out replacements.

"The more you stall, the more of chance there is that I might accidentally eat one of these pathetic mortals." Kyuubi taunted warningly, interrupting my speech. He was a good actor.

"No, you won't." I narrowed my eyes at Kyuubi, knowing that he couldn't see, but I did it for Sakura's sake. "She deserves to know why I'm doing this." I had to convince her to help us… or else Kyuubi would probably kill her. That was the deal.

"You're a traitor… just like him!" Sakura screamed out, trying to break free of the hold my clones had her in. It was useless. I felt bad for her, because once again, Sasuke and I were leaving her behind. We were going somewhere she couldn't follow. It was as if I had always been running towards the sunset, hand in hand with Sasuke, while she lingered behind. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't catch up. At least now, we wouldn't be in the race anymore.

"I really am sorry, Sakura. If things were different… I would stay. I would stay and I would fake my way through this miserable life." I shook my head, finally letting my inner sadness show. "But I've been given a chance… a _real_ chance at happiness. And if that means putting myself first for a change, then I'm going to do it. I'm tired, Sakura, tired of living like this. Can't you see?"

"… Naruto." Sakura sighed out my name… and it was then I knew she understood. "I'll help, in any way I can." It was the confidence in her voice that convinced me. I knew then that changing Kyuubi's plan to accommodate Sakura was the right decision to make.

"Good. After I kill off the elders and Danzo, I'm going after Akatsuki. Leave Konoha now and I'll catch up to you in about two hours." I grinned wildly. I just knew that Sakura would help me. "Allow my clones to carry you off."

"Alright." Sakura rolled her green eyes. "You'd better hurry up baka!"

"Of course. I wouldn't keep a beautiful girl like you waiting." I made a waving motion with my hand and my five clones instantly took off into the darkness, taking Sakura with them. Now I had to find the elders.

"Hn… I shall honor our agreement, kit." Kyuubi rumbled furtively and I smirked in response. My eyes widened as I felt another one of my clones die… but this one had been killed by Mitokado Homura. Ironically, he had been hiding inside the Hokage Monument. It was time to finish things. Kyuubi seemed to realize me gathering my resolve and immediately took off towards the carved face of my deceased father. How the demon fox knew where to go eludes me.

I turned to the grandiose mountain and smiled ominously. I stared into the countenance of Namikaze Minato and his stony gaze froze me to the core. It was as if his stony gaze was reprimanding in a way, as if I was committing some kind of unforgivable-

* * *

Blue eyes widened with shock and a loud gasp was heard. Uzumaki Naruto sat up in bed, vivid, unfamiliar images racing through his mind: Nine, orange swirling tails, enigmatic figures staring him down, garments with red clouds on them, bright pink hair flying in the wind, two old, wrinkled corpses lying on the ground, and a dark figure sitting in front of a wooden table.

Naruto gripped onto his golden hair, breathing heavily. It was all a dream, it had to be. The blonde steadied his breathing and tried to calm himself down. That was one of the worst nightmares he had ever had in his life. He struggled to remember more of this horrid dream that was starting to fade from his memory.

"Dammit!!!" Naruto jumped out of his bed and sauntered over to the mirror that was attached to his dresser. A tanned face, messy blonde spikes, and bright blue eyes stared back at him. But something was missing… no… something was wrong… Naruto leaned in close to his own reflection and placed his palms on his smooth cheeks.

"In my dream… I had scars…" The boy realized, his blue orbs widening. He then continued to stare at himself in the mirror, waiting in fear for the whisker-like scars to appear. But nothing happened… and his cheeks remained unmarred. Had they always been that way? Why couldn't he remember more of this nightmare? It was important, it was so important, and yet Naruto could only grasp onto the remembrance of strong feelings and vague, fragmented pictures. Who did he know with pink hair? He had never met anyone with pink hair in his life.

"Naruto? What are you doing?" Naruto whirled around, visibly shocked. It was only his father, Minato, already dressed for work. "You're going to be late for school." His father's familiar blue eyes narrowed a bit, as if noticing his son's unease.

"Oh… right. Sorry, Dad, I just had a weird dream." Naruto threw on a smile, hoping this would deter his Father's curiosity. "I'll be out in a second." The boy walked over to his bed and began making it.

"Okay then. Your Mother is almost done making your breakfast." Minato nodded once, his blonde hair rustling a bit. He turned, about to shut the door to Naruto's room when he almost smacked himself in the head. "Oh yeah… Happy Birthday, son." Minato ran back into Naruto's room and hugged the shocked boy tightly. "I'm sorry I didn't say so sooner."

Naruto gulped, hoping his Dad didn't realize how freaked out he was. It was his birthday?!? How could he have forgotten such a thing? The blonde returned his Father's embrace and tentatively turned to the calendar that hung next to his desk on the other side of his bed. It was October 10th… it was his birthday. And he was sixteen now. And for some reason, this nightmare had distracted him from his own birthday. Or perhaps… something was going to happen? Was his sixteenth birthday important somehow?

"Thanks, Dad! It's ok, I practically forgot, too!" Naruto forced a laugh out of his throat. "I hope you got your favorite son something good!!"

"But of course!" Minato replied, releasing Naruto and ruffling his son's blonde locks.

"Minato! Naruto! Breakfast's ready!!!" Naruto's mother, Kushina, shouted out from the kitchen. Minato let out a laugh, his blue eyes sparkling at the sound of his wife's voice. The older blonde strolled out of Naruto's room, leaving the blonde to his thoughts.

* * *

Naruto felt as if his entire morning had been a complete blur. He knew that his mother had made miso ramen for breakfast- his birthday was one of the only few days a year that he could eat it in the mornings-and that it had tasted marvelous, as always. He also knew that he had been driven to school in a black limousine, as always. And he had arrived at his high school the same time he always had. The blonde was currently sitting in homeroom, staring out the window. Everyone was bustling around, talking excitedly among themselves.

"Yo, blondie, what's wrong?" One of Naruto's closest friends, Inuzuka Kiba, plopped down into the empty seat next to him.

Naruto turned to Kiba and smiled. "I don't know… it's weird, but I feel like something's missing. I feel like I'm missing something." The teen scratched his head, frowning. "The only problem is… I don't have a _damn_ clue what I'm missing."

"Haha, I know what you're missing… birthday punches!" Kiba pulled his fist back, prepared to deliver his infamous presents.

"Are you serious, Kiba? Don't be so stupid!" Another one of Naruto's good friends, Yamanaka Ino stalked across the room and pounded Kiba's skull with her own fist. Naruto burst into laughter and watched as Kiba glared at the blonde girl. "What Naruto needs is birthday kisses, not punches. He's sixteen, now, and I'm sure he's more interested in-"

"If he wanted birthday kisses, I believe he would have asked for them." Naruto couldn't help but roll his eyes at the emotionless tone of Sai's voice. The pale boy always managed to creep up on him, no matter where he was. It was ridiculous!

"Did you guys plan a party for me?" Naruto grinned cheekily at Sai, who was now standing directly in front of his desk. "I know you did! I can't wait to open my presents!"

"Psh, like we would waste our time on you." Ino joked, her eyes twinkling with mirth. Her eyes then noticed one of her good friends, Tenten, walking into the classroom. "I'm gonna go talk to Tenten for a bit. Kiba, behave! No birthday punches!" And with that, the girl sauntered over to her brown-haired companion.

"So seriously, what's up? You've been oddly… well odd. And I can't figure out why." Kiba leaned in closer to Naruto, as if he was about to get a good piece of gossip. "Did your Dad uncover some crazy conspiracy within his branch?"

"You've been watching too many American TV shows." Naruto smirked back. "No, Kiba, my Dad is just fine." Sai snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're upset… because you've turned sixteen and you're still a virgin." Sai stated matter-of-factly, which caused both Kiba and Naruto to groan out loud.

"No, Sai, that's not it either! Nothing's wrong with me!" Naruto shouted out. "Jeez… there's nothing wrong with being a virgin anyways."

"Tell that to your future wife." Kiba sneered, jabbing Naruto in the shoulder with his elbow. Sai's dark eyes studied both of them unabashedly.

"Believe me, by the time I'm ready to settle down, I won't be a virgin anymore." Naruto flashed a cocky smile at the brunet.

"Oho! Look who thinks he's the shit now, just because he's the big one-six!" Kiba chuckled, unable to keep the smile from his face. "Pretty sure I wasn't as cocky as you when-"

"Do you mean that when you had your sixteenth birthday party at the beach this summer and shamelessly flirted with every girl in a bikini you weren't acting 'cocky'?" Sai raised an eyebrow, watching with amusement as Kiba's face turned red. "Not to mention that every single girl turned you down. This however, did not seem to deter you in the least."

Naruto laughed again as Kiba started shouting at Sai. This was his life… and he was happy with it. Those were his friends, and they had been with him for as long as he could remember. So who cared about some stupid dream? The blonde shook his head as Sai began defending himself against Kiba's explosive temper. Ino would probably come over in a minute to settle the fight. Then Kakashi-sensei would come in about five minutes later… tardy as always. And things would remain the same; they always had been.

Naruto turned his head to look at the clock. Kakashi-sensei was already three minutes late. As the blonde turned his head to glance at the door, he froze. Someone was standing in front of the doorway awkwardly, a male someone, a boy that stirred unfamiliar emotions inside him. Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself, wondering why it had gotten so hard to breathe all of a sudden. It was weird.

The boy was wearing the same uniform as all the other boys in the school. He was clearly a transfer student, judging by his slightly uncomfortable body language. And he was probably waiting for a teacher to tell him where to sit. The only problem was… this homeroom teacher was always late. Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit bad for the other boy.

He was tall, taller than Naruto. His hair was a dark, midnight blue and his skin was a milky, smooth pale. It wasn't as pale as Sai's, which was good… because Sai's complexion was so pale it was almost a sickly gray. His eyes were deep pits of black. The new kid must have realized that someone had finally noticed him, because he turned and looked right at Naruto. Blue became captivated with black.

"_Now then, Uchiha, because of the crimes you've committed, you will not be reunited with the kit right away. I'd say give or take about sixteen years."_ The voice and the words were tantalizingly familiar, taunting him with a cunning tone and wistful words. He had never heard the words before this moment… and the voice was one that frightened him to the core. And yet, Naruto felt some ease slide into my heart, as if he had found a piece to a puzzle he didn't even know existed.

Naruto found himself standing up, as if he was in a trance. Ignoring his two friends, the blonde made his way over to the new boy, who stayed standing exactly where he was. Finally, the two boys were about an arm's length from each other. Naruto, of course, was the first to break the silence.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He held out his hand, offering a smile to the newcomer. The newcomer who was perhaps, not a newcomer at all, because from the moment Naruto had laid eyes on him, he knew that by this boy's side was where he belonged.

"Uchiha Sasuke." And with that, the mystery had been revealed. Naruto happily shook the boy's hand. He didn't know why Fate had brought them together, but he certainly wasn't going to fight it. Seeing Sasuke had opened up a box of longing that had long since been closed.

"It's my birthday today." The blonde grinned widely, releasing Sasuke's hand. "I'm sixteen. But enough about me. You're new here, right?"

"Yes, I am. My parents thought it best if I attended this school." Sasuke nodded his head. He didn't understand why it was so easy for him to talk to this boy. Usually he had a hard time conversing with others. Something about this Naruto bothered him and he wasn't sure why.

"Cool. Do you wanna sit down? There's an empty seat behind me!" Naruto turned around, ready to head back to his row.

"I should probably wait for the teacher to get here before-" Sasuke began, but the sound of footsteps caused him to turn around.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, I see you've met our newest addition to the class." Kakashi had finally arrived, a pile of papers in his hands. "Everyone! I'd like you to meet Uchiha Sasuke!" The entire class stopped what they were doing and stared at Sasuke. No one said anything, so it was up to the blonde to break the silence once again.

"Can he sit behind me, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto flashed his trademark fox grin, as his mother liked to call it. "Pretty please, it's my birthday!" The entire class responded loudly, wishing the blonde a happy birthday. "Thanks, everyone!"

"Why of course, Naruto-kun. And I'm sure you'd like to show him around as well." Kakashi's dark eyes sparkled as he shook his head. "That's fine. Everyone, get into your proper seats." The teacher began setting his papers on his desk and organizing them. Naruto gestured to Sasuke and began walking to his seat. The blonde sat down at his desk and Sasuke wordlessly sat down behind him.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're late again!" Tenten shouted at the silver-haired man. "And I already took attendance." She wove a piece of paper around. Everyone began shuffling around, getting into their assigned seats.

"Why thank you. I would have been here earlier, but I got lost on the-" Kakashi began, holding his hands up defensively.

"Road of life! We know!" Everyone but Sasuke shouted back at the man. Kakashi let out a laugh and continued going through his documents. The rest of the class began to get their things ready, as first period was about to begin.

Naruto felt someone tap his shoulder and turned to Sasuke expectantly. "Is this how it always is?" Sasuke questioned, eyebrow raised. Naruto thought about the word he had overused today: "always". How he had always thought that his life was complete and things would stay the same because he liked them that way. How foolish he had been.

"Nope… I have a feeling that things will be different with you around." Naruto smiled at the raven. He overheard Kiba and Sai arguing again and mentally rolled his eyes.

"I see." Sasuke studied Naruto, a tiny frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" Naruto cocked his head to one side.

Before Sasuke could answer, Ino wandered over, obviously wanting to talk to Sasuke. She was kind of boy crazy. Naruto inwardly chuckled, wondering how Sasuke would handle this new situation. "Hey, so you're the new kid? Why don't _I_ show you around instead of Naruto? I'm sure you'd appreciate the female company." Ino batted her eyelashes, trying to give Sasuke her "sexy look", as Sai had aptly named it.

"I have no desire to be anywhere around you and I certainly wouldn't appreciate your company." Sasuke's voice held nothing but disgust. "For the record, I don't find you attractive at all." Ino's face contorted with rage.

"You _do_ know that I'm the Prime Minister's son's best friend. Why wouldn't you want my company; I can open doors for you! And what's with that attitude, I deserve some respect you jerk!!" Ino snapped out, her eyes full of fury.

"Once you earn my respect, I'll give it to you." Sasuke answered simply, not at all affected by Ino's angry words.

"For the record, I have more than one best friend." Naruto uttered wryly, shaking his head at Ino's antics. The other blonde was still seething, gritting her teeth furiously.

"You're Namikaze's son?" Sasuke turned to Naruto, eyes widened with surprise.

"My Mom gave me her last name because she had split up with him once she found out she was pregnant. But once my Dad realized that had been the reason she had run off, he eventually found us and brought us back to his place. She didn't want to mess up his image or whatever. But they got married a few weeks later and that was that." Naruto shrugged. His surname had never really bothered him. Either way, Minato was still his Father.

"Hn." Sasuke responded thoughtfully.

"You idiot! Stop spilling out family secrets!" Ino smacked Naruto in the head. "You can't trust someone you barely know!"

_But I do know him._ Naruto's mind automatically answered. The blonde shrugged again. "I _do_ trust him, Ino. And besides, anyone can read that story on the Internet." The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom. Everyone stood up and began to leave the room.

Naruto stood up and picked his books up off his desk. "Whatever." Ino rolled her eyes, but ruffled Naruto's hair tenderly. Sasuke stood up as well, unsure of what to do. "See you at lunch, birthday boy." The girl ran over to her desk, grabbed her things, and left homeroom with Tenten. Naruto looked at the piece of paper that was on Sasuke's desk; it was the boy's schedule.

The blonde smiled as his eyes quickly read the paper. He and Sasuke had four classes together. "Yo, are you coming?" Kiba demanded. Naruto turned back and stared at the doorway. Kiba and Sai were waiting for him.

"Go on, I'll see you guys in class. Save some seats for me and Sasuke!" Naruto shouted back, waiting until they left to turn to Sasuke.

"I wasn't aware that I gave you permission to use my first name." The raven crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sorry about that!" Naruto squeaked out, turning red. "It just seemed so… I dunno." Natural was the word Naruto wanted to say, but that would have been ridiculous. No matter how he had felt on the inside, this was the first time he had met this boy and he couldn't act so-

"It's fine." Sasuke took his belongings off the desk. "Lead the way, Naruto." The blonde felt a shiver go down his spine at the raven's voice. The two boys left the classroom together, not realizing that Kakashi had been watching them the entire time.

_I guess that damned fox kept his promise._ Kakashi smiled at their retreating backs. _I wonder who else will be joining us from the other side… _

* * *

Naruto burst into homeroom excitedly. The weather had made him unexpectedly late. Everyone else was already in the room; except for Kakashi, of course. "It's snowing!!!!!" The blonde immediately sat down near all of his friends. He turned his head so that he was facing Sasuke. The raven was usually there before him. "Sasuke, Sasuke-"

"I know, dobe. There's white stuff outside." Sasuke rolled his eyes, but Naruto knew he wasn't annoyed. Hell, everyone knew by now that Naruto was the only person that he actually tolerated. Despite the raven's tone, his eyes gave his mood away.

"We're going to build a giant snowman and make it look like Anko-sensei. I'll bet she'll love that." Naruto giggled cunningly. "I'll make her boobs!"

"Naruto!!!!!" Ino rolled her eyes at Naruto's immaturity. "I heard that!" The blonde turned fearfully to the girl. "I'm so in! She gives way too much homework!"

"There's no way in hell I'm missing out on this!" Kiba grinned widely. "But I get to make the ass. Yo, Sai, you're lookout."

"As always." Sai responded impassively.

"Kiba, give her a big, round ass. Like bigger than the moon." Naruto snickered and Sasuke snorted in disgust. "Aw, come on, Sasuke, you _have_ to help!"

"I am not indulging in such a decadent activity such as-" Sasuke frowned, wishing that he wasn't the only person with _morals_ in their dysfunctional group of friends.

"I am going to mold and shape the _perfect_ ass!" Kiba proclaimed, interrupting Sasuke and Ino promptly smacked him in the back of the head. "What the hell-" The brunet broke off as a girl with long, blue hair walked into the room. "Ino, who's that?" He watched, transfixed as the beautiful girl sat down next to Tenten.

"That's Hyuuga Hinata you idiot! She transferred here last week. God, you never notice anything." Ino rolled her eyes yet again.

"Oh yea. She's really nice." Naruto smiled and nodded his golden head. "We have history together." Sai narrowed his eyes at Kiba and began to analyze the latter's behavior. He always did this is if someone did something unanticipated.

"She's gorgeous." Kiba uttered, still staring at the unsuspecting girl. Sasuke raised an eyebrow; he didn't even know the brunet knew what that meant. It was amazing what infatuation did to an individual. It increased the vocabulary, apparently.

"Oh no, stay away from her you pervert!" Ino stood up, ready to smack the boy again.

"Ino, Ino!" Naruto broke in quickly, not wanting his friends to fight again. "Look, why don't you go talk to Tenten? Maybe she can help us with the snowman!"

"Sure, fine, whatever." Ino walked over to Tenten and Hinata. Naruto let out a sigh of relief. Yet another fight avoided thanks to the great Uzumaki!

"We sure have been getting a lot of transfer students lately." Naruto commented, looking out the window. It was still snowing heavily.

"Hn." Sasuke responded automatically. Kiba said nothing, still ogling Hinata.

"Yes. I believe it is quite odd." Sai said thoughtfully. "First Sasuke, then Gai-sensei's nephew Lee, and now, Hyuuga has joined us."

"Yeah, but they're all cool." The blonde grinned widely. "And Kiba seems to like Hinata, now that he's noticed her. We should get her to help us with-"

"Dobe. No." Sasuke shook his head.

"Teme! Stop calling me that!" Naruto pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes and simply chose to ignore the blonde.

"The two of you fight like an old married couple." Sai declared frankly, disregarding both the death glare Sasuke was currently giving him and Naruto's shocked, open-mouthed face.

"You say the weirdest shit sometimes, Sai." Naruto huffed and stole a quick glance at Sasuke. Married? Why the hell would he marry the teme?

"Hey guys!" Ino ran back over excitedly. "Why don't we make the snowman now? Tenten and Hinata agreed to stall Kakashi-sensei."

"Hell yeah, let's do it!" Naruto stood up immediately, eager to get his mind off of Sai's statement. The blonde turned back to look at his male companions. Sai had an uncaring expression on his face, Kiba still looked like a love-sick puppy, and Sasuke wasn't even looking at him. What was going on? Something was wrong, something wasn't right. He felt sick.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Ino put a hand on the boy's shoulder. She could see the change in his demeanor and the discomfort on his face.

Without thinking, Naruto pulled away from Ino and dashed out of the classroom. He heard Ino's shocked yell, but kept on running down the hallway until he reached the boy's bathroom. Naruto flung the door open and raced to the sink, rapidly turning it on. He quickly splashed some cold water on his face and tried to cease his panting.

The blonde slowly took a deep breath and casually glanced up into the mirror. The face he saw in the mirror was not his own and he screamed out loud. The boy in the mirror had three whisker-like lines in each of his cheeks, an odd metal headband positioned on his forehead that pushed his golden bangs up, and his eyes, his eyes were the scariest of all. They were blood red, cold, and angry. Red eyes that swirled with bloodlust and fury and ached to kill and destroy everything. Naruto let out a scream again and punched the mirror as hard as he could.

Pain erupted in his hand as the mirror cracked. As Naruto slowly pulled his hand away from the mirror, drops of blood began to fall from his knuckles to the sink. He stared at his bleeding hand, transfixed. The other face in the mirror was gone, replaced by the one he had always known, the normal face that everyone else knew. No one knew that monster.

"The thought of being married to me disgusts you that much?" Naruto froze at Sasuke's deep, amused tone. The blonde turned to face Sasuke, who had just walked into the bathroom.

"No. It's not that." Naruto couldn't bear to look at Sasuke. He couldn't look at the raven, not when there were so many other issues plaguing him right now. For one thing, his hand hurt like hell, it was bleeding and bruises would start to form soon. And there was that face in the mirror, that odd demonic version of him. It just didn't make any sense.

He was scared and he felt alone. And he felt that his innate love of regularity, something the blonde always thought that he enjoyed, was in fact, not as natural as he thought it. It was as if someone had implanted the idea into his head at birth. For the blonde demon in the mirror was anything but normal and yet, those scars, those eyes, that headband… they all triggered nostalgic feelings inside of him. Feelings that he couldn't understand, didn't want to understand…

"Dobe." Naruto didn't realize that Sasuke had even moved, but the dark-haired by was right next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong!" Naruto growled. He didn't want to talk about this.

"Stop acting difficult and just tell me what's wrong!" Sasuke hissed back, grabbing Naruto's shoulders and shaking him once.

"Get the fuck off me!" Naruto shoved Sasuke off him and backed away. Sasuke scowled and moved forward, determined to discover what was ailing the blonde. "No! Don't you dare come any closer! What the hell is wrong with you? You don't give a shit about me! You never did! So don't act all concerned-" Naruto's voice became muffled as Sasuke finally closed the distance between them and kissed him. Sasuke was kissing him!

Naruto's brain practically went to mush as Sasuke possessively seized his hips and held the blonde closer to him. The dazed boy lazily put his arms around the raven's neck, pulling the paler youth even closer. Naruto found himself arching up into the kiss, relishing in the feeling of Sasuke's lips melding and molding against his. He let out a tiny moan of disappointment as the raven gently pulled away. The boy's eyes widened in shock as Sasuke took his chin and lifted it, so that they were staring into each other's eyes.

"I know that there are things in your life going on right now that you can't explain. I know that you're scared and you're lonely and you're angry. And I know… because I feel the same way. But I don't think you know that I'm here. I'm here for you, so use me." Sasuke paused to run his fingers through Naruto's messy hair and the latter almost mewled at the touch. "We… we're special. I don't know how. I don't think I ever want to know _why_ we're different than everyone else, but we are. But we're together. Isn't that enough?"

"Yeah… it's enough." Naruto smiled softly. He was so happy… he could barely contain his excitement. He knew that whatever life chose to throw at him, he would be okay. Knowing that Sasuke would be _there_ for him meant so much for him. Plus, it was good to know that the teme could do something other than insult or ignore him.

_They are turning my head out_

"Let's go make that damn snowman." Sasuke smirked and offered his hand to the blonde. Naruto's smile grew wider and he snatched the raven's hand as if it was a piece of candy to be devoured. "The others are already outside."

_To see what I'm all about_

Naruto squeezed Sasuke's hand once and ran over to the door, pulling the other boy along with him. Not even bothering to use his free hand, the blonde kicked the door open and dashed out of the bathroom. The two boys sprinted down the hallway, hand in hand, adrenalin coursing through their veins. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't even realize that they ran right past Kakashi, who was casually strolling down the hallway, his nose in a book.

_Keeping my head down_

Kakashi smiled to himself as he leaned against one of the many lockers that were in the hallway. He closed his book slowly; staring wistfully at the direction Naruto and Sasuke had come from. He couldn't help it; he was jealous. Even in this mundane, meaningless existence, Naruto and Sasuke had found each other. They would continue to live on, unaware (for the most part) of their past lives as shinobi. And even if, by some chance one of them happened to remember everything, they would still have each other. Kakashi had not been so lucky.

_To see what it feels like now_

"Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry." The silver-haired man froze and looked into earnest, familiar eyes. Kakashi found himself staring at a man he hadn't seen in decades. Dark brown hair in a ponytail, sun-kissed skin, kind chocolate eyes, and yet… there was no scar across the bridge of his nose. The man had snow in his hair and was shivering slightly. Kakashi took in his disheveled look and smiled back at the man; he could tell the latter was nervous. "My name is Umino Iruka. I was wondering if you could help me. You see, I'm new here and-"

_But I have no doubt_

Kakashi's smile grew brighter and he mentally thanked the fox. It seemed as though his thirty years of solitude had finally ended.

_One day, the sun will come out..._

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**The End**

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**Well yes, that was very long. Sorry if some parts of it were confusing haha feel free to ask me about anything! I had a lot of fun writing this and I must say, it's one of my favorite one-shots. I hope you enjoyed reading it! **


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